CANDIDATE FILING DEADLINE AND SNOOZE BUTTON

By Celia Cohen
Grapevine Political Writer

Four years ago Delaware had a vice presidential
candidate. Two years ago it had the not-a-witch of the
Tea Party set. A little state can have only so much
excitement in it. This year Delaware might as well hit
the snooze button.

The filing deadline for candidates was today at noon,
and it ended not with a bang but a whimper.

The top races in 2012 have solid Democrats running
for re-election in a solidly Democratic state for
senator, congressman, governor and lieutenant governor
against a Republican lineup with a profile so low, it
could be the envy of the witness protection program.

In the General Assembly, the Democratic majorities in
both the Senate and the House of Representatives look
safe. The Republicans at best could pick up a smattering
of seats, and at worst could fade further into the
minority.

The filing deadline did solve some human riddles.
Brad Bennett, the Democratic representative whose next
term could be served in jail if he is convicted of his
second drunken driving charge, withdrew his candidacy --
sort of. His wife is running, instead. Bob Marshall, a
Democratic senator who blustered about running for mayor
in Wilmington, blinked and filed for re-election.

The ballot is not necessarily set yet. Candidates
have until Friday to withdraw and still get their filing
fees back, and the political parties have until Sept. 4
to fill vacancies on their tickets.

STATEWIDE

Office

Leading Democrats

Leading Republicans

Rundown

Senate

Tom Carper

Kevin Wade

Carper is going full speed ahead for the
record of most wins ever by a Delawarean running
statewide. It would make Wade the unlucky 13th
opponent

House

John Carney

Tom Kovach

Carney is a popular
Democrat in a blue state with more than half a
million in the bank against Kovach's bare-bones
campaign

Governor

Jack Markell

Jeff Cragg

Four governors in a row have been re-elected
to a second term. If even Ruth Ann Minner can do
it, Markell must be a lock

Lt Governor

Matt Denn

Sher Valenzuela

When the voters keep the
governor, they keep the lieutenant governor. No
worries for Denn

Insurance Commissioner

Karen Weldin Stewart

Mitch Crane

Paul Gallagher

Dennis Spivack

Ben Mobley

Stewart is a shaky incumbent, but too many
candidates can spoil the opposition. The more
who get in, the better her survival looks

Incumbents in bold; endorsed candidates in
italics

GENERAL ASSEMBLY

Senate now:
14 Democrats, 7 Republicans

House of
Representatives now: 26 Democrats, 15 Republicans

District

Leading Democrats

Leading Republicans

Rundown

Senate 4th

Greenville-Brandywine Hundred

Mike Katz

Greg Lavelle

This should be the loudest race in the
legislature as Lavelle, the House minority
leader, tries to oust Katz from what used to be
the Republicans' most certain seat

Senate 11th

Brookside-Christiana

Tony DeLuca

Bryan Townsend

Evan Queitsch

DeLuca's tough-guy tenure as president pro
tem landed him a serious primary in a district
too Democratic for a Republican to win

Senate 12th

New Castle-Delaware City-below
the canal

Nicole Poore

Dori Connor

The Democrats have left Connor alone for
years because she is a pro-labor Republican, but
they want the seat now as insurance to keep them
in the majority

Senate 6th

Lewes-Rehoboth-Dewey-Milton

Bob Frederick

Mike Miller

Andy Staton

Ernie Lopez

Glen Urquhart

The lure of a new Senate seat in Sussex has
led to primaries on both sides. Anything goes

Senate 19th

Bridgeville-Georgetown-Long
Neck

Eric Bodenweiser

Joe Booth

Jane Hovington

Booth only beat Bodie by 120 votes last
time, and that was before Booth let on he was
going to double-dip with a school district job.
This is a battle for a Republican seat

Senate 20th

Bethany-Fenwick
Island-Millsboro

Gerald Hocker

With the retirement of George Howard
Bunting, a Democrat, this looks like the
easiest Republican pickup ever

House 19th

Mill Creek-Stanton-Newport

Bill Dunn

Kim Williams

Dennis Cini

Bob Gilligan, the Democratic speaker, is not
retiring after 40 years to watch his district
leave the Democratic side of the aisle

House 22nd

Hockessin-Pike Creek Valley

Dave Ellis

Nick Manolakos

Joe Miro

Redistricting combined Manolakos and Miro in
a seat that should stay Republican, whoever wins

House 23rd

Newark

Paul Baumbach

Claudia Bock

Jerry Grant

The unexpected retirement of Terry Schooley,
a four-term Democrat, unleashed a free-for-all
within her party

House 11th

Southern New Castle
County-northern Kent County

Dave Brown Jr.

Lynne Newlin

Jeff Spiegelman

This is a new district with a
Democratic-leaning registration but no political
identity yet